Rotary valve assembly
AssigneeBoston Dynamics, Inc.
InventorsSteven D. Potter, Christopher Everett Thorne, John Aaron Saunders
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary valve subassembly includes a spool and a sleeve. The spool is positioned within the sleeve and rotatable relative to the sleeve. Rotating the spool relative to the sleeve can align a scalloped recess formed into an outer side surface of the spool with an inner circumferential recess formed into an inner side surface of the sleeve to fluidly-connect a pressurized fluid source and a low pressure fluid reservoir with a hydraulic actuator.
Claims19
A method of operating a rotary valve assembly including a sleeve and a spool disposed within the sleeve, the method comprising:
- rotating the spool relative to the sleeve to radially align at least one scalloped recess of a plurality of scalloped recesses formed into an outer side surface of the spool with an inner circumferential recess formed into an inner side surface of the sleeve, the at least one scalloped recess of the spool when radially aligned with the inner circumferential recess of the sleeve is configured to fluidly-connect:
- a pressurized fluid source with one of a first portion or a second portion of a hydraulic actuator;
- and
- a low pressure fluid reservoir with the other one of the first portion or the second portion of the hydraulic actuator;
- wherein the sleeve comprises a tube-shaped body including an outer side surface and an inner side surface disposed on an opposite side of the tube-shaped body than the outer side surface, the inner side surface defining an axial chamber that axially extends through the tube-shaped body, the tube-shaped body comprising:
- a plurality of inlet ports that extend radially through a thickness of the tube-shaped body, each inlet port in fluid communication with the axial chamber and defining an upstream opening at the outer side surface and a downstream opening at the inner side surface;
- and
- a plurality of control ports that extend radially through the thickness of the tube-shaped body, each control port in fluid communication with the axial chamber and defining a first opening at the outer side surface and a second opening at the inner side surface.
A method of operating a rotary valve assembly including a sleeve and a spool disposed within the sleeve, the method comprising:
- rotating the spool relative to the sleeve to radially align at least one scalloped recess of a plurality of scalloped recesses formed into an outer side surface of the spool with an inner circumferential recess formed into an inner side surface of the sleeve, the at least one scalloped recess of the spool when radially aligned with the inner circumferential recess of the sleeve is configured to fluidly-connect:
- a pressurized fluid source with one of a first portion or a second portion of a hydraulic actuator;
- and
- a low pressure fluid reservoir with the other one of the first portion or the second portion of the hydraulic actuator;
- wherein the spool comprises a tube-shaped body including the outer side surface and an inner side surface disposed on an opposite side of the tube-shaped body than the outer side surface, the inner side surface defining an axial chamber that axially extends through the tube-shaped body, the tube-shaped body comprising:
- a plurality of return pressure ports that radially extend through a thickness of the tube-shaped body, each return pressure port in fluid communication with the axial chamber;
- and
- the plurality of scalloped recesses formed on the outer side surface of the tube-shaped body, each scalloped recess extending radially into but not through the thickness of the tube-shaped body;
- and
- wherein each scalloped recess of the plurality of scalloped recesses comprises:
- a head portion;
- a body portion;
- and
- a neck portion connecting the head portion to the body portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.